Japan's government may soon sign off on a proposal to build the country's first resort to feature a casino. Sources say the facility still has to pass additional screening before it can go into business as a casino but the plan is for it to open toward the end of 2029.

The Osaka city and prefectural governments jointly submitted the plan last April. The so-called "integrated resort" would also include hotels and a space for hosting international-scale conferences.

The sources say the Tourism Agency has concluded the proposal meets the requirements for approval. A panel of experts reviewed various aspects of the plan, including measures to combat gambling addiction and the financial stability of the businesses involved.

The sources say they expect the proposal to get the official greenlight soon.

Osaka will make an initial investment of more than 1 trillion yen, or over 7.5 billion dollars. That will go to building the casino and conference space on an artificial island in Osaka Bay.

But the proposal still faces another round of screening. The facility can only operate as a casino if it gets approval from the government's casino oversight committee.